Is there a College GameDay Week 0? Why ESPN show won't debut until Week 1
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College football makes its long-awaited return on Saturday, Aug. 29, with TCU and North Carolina facing off in Dublin, Ireland in the first official game of the 2026 season.
It's one of eight games on Saturday as part of Week 0, when the season starts, but only a fraction of FBS teams are taking the field.
College football may be back, but not necessarily everything that's synonymous with the sport — including its preeminent television program.
Since it first started broadcasting on-site from college campuses, ESPN's "College GameDay" has been a staple of fall Saturdays, with some of the network's most recognizable faces and voices showing up to the biggest game of the week and giving a national platform to the pageantry of college football.
This year, though, college football fans will have to wait a week before Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and company return to their televisions.
Here's what you need to know about "College GameDay" and Week 0:
Is there College GameDay Week 0?
No, "College GameDay" will not be airing during Week 0 of the 2026 college football season.
The show has previously made the trip to Dublin for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, which has been the site of the first college football game of the season in recent years. In 2024, for example, the "GameDay" crew was live in Dublin ahead of Florida State's game against Georgia Tech.
But this year, "GameDay" won't be starting until Week 1, when it will broadcast live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana ahead of No. 13 LSU's matchup against No. 23 Clemson.
In the two hours ahead of kickoff for TCU vs. North Carolina, ESPN will be airing "College Football Countdown," a studio show featuring Kevin Negandhi, Greg McElroy, Booger McFarland and Jesse Palmer.
College GameDay schedule 2026
Here's a look at the schedule for "College GameDay" for the opening weeks of the 2026 college football season:
- Week 1 (Saturday, September 5): No. 23 Clemson at No. 13 LSU (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
- Week 2 (Saturday, September 12): No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas (Austin, Texas)
- Week 3 (Saturday, September 19): No. 13 LSU at No. 10 Mississippi (Oxford, Mississippi)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is there a College GameDay Week 0? Why ESPN show won't debut until Week 1
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